Apart from in Vientiane and, to a lesser ex­tent, in Savannakhet and Pakse, you'll seldom need local transport because towns and cities are small enough to walk and cycle around.

Bus

Vientiane is the only city with a network of local buses, though they're not much good to travellers.

Jumbo, Saam-laaw, Sakai-laep, Tuk-tuk

The various three-wheeled taxis found in Vientiane and provincial capitals have dif­ferent names depending on where you are. Larger ones are called jqmbyh (jumbo) and can hold four to six passengers on two facing seats. In Vientiane they are sometimes called tuk-tuk as in Thailand (though traditionally in Laos this refers to a slightly larger vehicle than the jumbo), while in the south (eg Pakse and Savannakhet) they may be called sakai-laep (Skylab) because someone, probably on opium at the time, once thought they looked like the famous space station that crashed to earth. But wait, there's more...these three-wheeled conveyances are also labelled simply thaek-sii (taxi) or, usually for motorcycle sidecar-style vehicles, sdam-laaw (samlor or three-wheels). Whatever you call it people will usually know what you're after. The old-style bicycle saam-laaw (pedicab), known as a cydo elsewhere in Indochina, is an endangered species in Laos. If you can find a saam-ldaw, fares are about the same as for motorcycle taxis.

Fares vary according to the city and your bargaining skills. Locals generally pay about US$0.25 per kilometre on trips no longer than about 20km. However, in Vientiane and other towns that see plenty of tourists, serious bar­gaining is required.

Taxi

Vientiane has a handful of car taxis that are used by foreign businesspeople and the oc­casional tourist, though in other cities a taxi of sorts can be arranged. They can be hired by the trip, by the hour or by the day. Typical all-day hire within a town or city costs between US$35 and US$45 depending on the vehicle and your negotiating powers. By the trip, you shouldn't pay more than about US$0.50 per kilometre, but will often be asked to.